The Radiant Guard
Rhoanna spoke to the unit commander in hushed tones. He wore the same golden armor as his men, but had passed through a few more winters, and his authority was obvious from the respect his men showed him. Falamar noticed that black tattoos snaked up from under his armor and wrapped around his neck and his left hand was covered with intricate tattoos, which was highly unusual for a commander of the Radiant Guard. He also looked pained, stressed beyond even the ravages of war. Rhoanna walked back to where Falamar and the crew waited. "He says Bourne is threatened from internal and external forces. He wants us to lead the troops in the field, to keep the Infernals from attacking Bourne while they fight the heretics inside the city." Falamar walked close enough that they could talk without anyone overhearing. "Who is the commander? He looks afraid of more than death." Rhoanna glanced back at the commander who was in the process of splitting his men, some to return to the city and other to stay and await orders. "His name is Mikel, he's the son of an Emry," she answered. "He grew up among the Sheaim before splitting and dedicating his life to the Empyrean." "That explains the tattoos. But that should make him less afraid of war." "The heretics have captured his wife and three-year-old daugher. They demanded he take his men and abandon the city and he has refused. There isn't much hope he will be able to save them." She said the last part softly, but Mikel was behind her and had heard it. If the words affected him he didn't show it. "I am the shield until the sword comes free," he intoned. "If you hold the line I will scourge the heretics from Bourne and Basium will have a base to launch his war from. If the Infernals slip through your line then Bourne will fall and the devils will consume this land. I will give you some of the guard to stand with you. Will you battle Hyborem?" "Yes," Falamar answered without hesitation, "take care of Bourne and leave the devils to us." Note: If you do not want to spoil the scenario content please skip the sides section Strategy You arrive in the land with units scattered about. It involves some Radiant Guards, some mounted units and three boats. Your goal is to prevent any Infernal units to come beyond your border into the city of Bourne. A little south-east lies the city of Bastradam which you will be given a secondary objective to destroy in about turn 10. Depending on the difficulty and how well you know the game it is possible to take, but rather hard as you have a limited amount of troops. To the far east lies the Dead Lands where Hyborem and the majority of the Infernals lie. In the beginning Hyborem will send Diseased Corpses among Hellhounds. Then as the game escalates harder units like Beast of Agares and Champions will try to breach through. When you have successfully killed 100 Infernal units you will be presented with a choice, where a blueskinned demon ask you to destroy the city of Bourne. If you do as the demon says you will come at a very hard war with Basium. You will win the scenario if you refuse however. Choosing sides A deep blue demon with a goat's head and shattered bones approaches under the flag of diplomacy. "You lead your men well, and we bear no love for Tebryn. We offer free passage through our lands, if you will join us in sacking Bourne the Gleaming. *The seas belong to the Lanun, and you are in no position to negotiate the terms of its travel. Tell your master we are done playing with his armies and we mean to end this game. *I tire of the Empyrean and prefer the company of the night. Very well, we will join you against the Mercurians. If you choose the first choice you will have to go into the Dead Lands and fight Hyborem. By doing so you will win the scenario. If you choose the second choice, you will be facing the Mercurians as the enemy and you will be objectived to kill Basium. This will make peace with Hyborem. When you manage to kill Basium, you will win the scenario. Good Ending Verchiel dropped to his knees and cried. He was an angel of Lugus, lord of the dawn and revelation, but he was unable to deliver his message. He knew where Mikel's wife and daughter were imprisoned, Verchel was kneeling beside them in the ether. But Mikel was too full of fear and doubt to hear the angel's voice. The city's priests either didn't understand the message or were too busy praising the victory against the Infernals. Even now the heretics sat in the barrack's main hall planning to kill their two prisoners and dump the bodies into the sewers. They were the only one floor above them and after weeks of being held within the barracks, the prisoners only had a few minutes left to live. "Why are you crying?" Verchiel stopped in surprise. He looked up to see Meegan, Mikel's three year old daughter looking at him quizzically. "Can you see me child?" Verchiel asked, equally puzzled. "Of course. What is your name?" she asked. Hallah, Meegan's mother, sat staring at the iron-bound door of the cell as she had for weeks. The room they were trapped in was an old storage room, and still had a pile of old tools and supplies in it. She had been through it a dozen times but there was nothing that could help her escape. She tried to stay strong while Meegan was awake, and save her tears for when her daugther was sleeping. She was so lost in her thoughts it took her a minute to realize Meegan was holding a conversation with an old broom. "Chipmunk, who are you talking to?" Meegan smiled, "His name is Verchiel, he's an angel and he will help us get back to daddy." Hallah had no words. At three years old her daughter had gone crazy. Hallah wasn't sure if she should be jealous of her daughter's hope, or condemn her for it. "We need something shiny," Meegan said, going again through the pile of supplies. She finally found an old copper plate that seemed to statisfy her and she cleaned it as well as possible with the hem of her dress. Hellah heard the door to the basement open. This time instead of the single footsteps of someone bringing them food she heard a group coming down the stairs. Hallah pulled Meegan into her arms and when she squirmed Hallah told her to be quiet. There was a jingle of keys and then the door opened. Six men, all of the conspirators were here. Two had swords drawn, one a knife and another had a rope he looked about to put to use. "Sorry deary," he said, "your husband's too stubborn for his own good." At that Meegan tore free of her mothers grip and stood protectively in front of her. She held the polished copper plate above her head and the men stepped back a bit at the sudden move. Nothing happened. Then Meegan asked the broom, "what do I say?" "Come on deary," the man carrying the rope said, "ain't no joy in killing a child. But it's either you go into the sewers or I go into the dungeon, and I ain't fool enough to consider that. "You cannot hide your actions," Meegan shouted in a voice half her own and half unworldy, "Lugus will reveal all. If you mean to escape, then flee now into the darkness; this area has been claimed by the rose of summer!" Hallah was more surprised than the men and they took a stunned step backwards. But realizing that no matter the threat they wern't about to be cowed by a three-year-old with an old plate, one of the swordsmen stepped towards Meegan. The copper plate exploded in light. It was as if Meegan held the sun itself abode her head. The men covered their eyes in pain, light flooded the storage room, the hallway and up into the barrack itself. Breaking free of every window or crack in the barracks wall light came spilling out onto the dark streets of Bourne. The Radiant Guard knew immediately that the power of Lugus was manifest within the city and rushed toward the barracks. One of the kidnappers yelled for his men to stand firm. The light burnt through to his eyes even when they were closed and covered by him arm. He placed his sword in front of him and risked one peek at where he thought the little girl was standing. When he looked he saw a golden angel standing before him with a blazing sword. "You will not harm these people," the angel said. The heretics fled up out of the barracks and into the street where they were met by the radiant guard and quickly arrested. Mikel was just starting to question one when his wife and daughter stepped out of the barracks. If there is any true hope or happiness left in Erebus, it existed there as Mikel swept them both up into his arms. It was hours before he let go of either of them. Evil Ending The savant examined Mikel. Mikel was tied to a post that had been erected behind a small granary. The Infernals had several people tied up within the city and refused to kill anyone yet, and they wanted to make sure none of the prisoners could see each other, so each was alone. But they could hear each other in pain and agony. It was worse to imagine what was happening to the others than to actually see it. Especially with the horrifying demons that now walked the streets of Bourne. Except for being tied up Mikel had been left alone, but apparently it was his turn now. A few members of the Sect of Flies came into the yard. They were decrepit and foul. They were named for the thousands of flies that lived on and about them, but worse parasites lived and feasted in their flesh. Their skin crawled with the pressure of the creatures that burrowed within it and their stench was like sweat and rotten flesh, as if a corpse had gone for a long jog. Mikel wasn't afraid. He had seen horrible things when he lived among the Sheaim and he had already accepted that he was going to die here. He prayed to Lugus for the purification of his soul, for forgiveness for his own weakness in being unable to protect the city, and for the souls of his wife and doughter who had been taken from him weeks ago. He was not afraid until he saw who they dragged into the yard. It was his wife Hallah. She was still alive, but beaten and bruised. They hadn't killed her, for a moment he was grateful for that, until he realized what they had saved her for. The Sect of Flies started by pulling off her clothes. She screamed and looked at Mikel in terror and shame as they debased themselves upon her. Their parasites fed on her as well, and they spread through any place they touched. For hours they abused her in increasingly painful ways until finally her spirit was broken and she just lay quiet as they acted out their desires upon her. In time the burrowing parasites could be seen under her flesh and her body twitched and spasmed to the pain of being consumed from the inside out. By the time Hallah died Mikel had no prayers left in him. He had threatened, screamed, cried and finally begged for it to stop but the devils had ignored all of it. Mikel questioned everything in his life that lead him to this moment, was sorry for every decision. And that was before they brought out his daughter. By the time that torment was done the only thing left within Mikel was pain and hatred. Category:Scenarios